I’ve long tired of every envirnonmental “study” blaming man for his misdeeds no matter the outcome of the study… But this one hits a new low. (pun intended)
Study: Oceans 70 percent shark-free
ABERDEEN, Scotland, Feb. 22 (UPI) — An international team of scientists says the absence of sharks from abyssal regions of the world’s oceans may mean some species are in danger of extinction.
The findings mean the world’s oceans are about 70 percent shark-free, researchers said.
The oceans’ abyssal zone remains in perpetual darkness at depths below 6,560 feet, with immense pressures of nearly five tons per square inch at its deepest.
It had been hoped that, as man explored deeper into the abyss, new shark species would be discovered. Scientists do not know why sharks are absent from the deep, but suggest one possible reason might be a lack of food.
They warn their finding has environmental implications. Professor Monty Priede, director of Oceanlab at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland said: “Sharks are already threatened worldwide by the intensity of fishing activity, but our finding suggests they may be more vulnerable to over-exploitation than was previously thought.”
This is -bar none- the worst environmental reporting I’ve ever seen. Start with the alarmist headline “Oceans 70 percent shark-free” which we know is a natural by-product of the oceans being RFD. (really freaking deep) Why not just go full bore… Since the earth is 2/3rds water, and there are no sharks on land, why not write the headline, “Earth is 80% Shark Free” it is just as stupid.
Of course the oceans are “70% shark free” because 70% of the ocean is RFD and sharks don’t live where it is RFD!
But if you get past the insipid headline the body of the story is mind-numbingly moronic. Scientists didn’t find something that we did not know existed so it must be bad news. I went in my backyard and looked for a new species of chicken and didn’t find any. Does that mean chickens are endangered?
I bet they didn’t find any new species of goldfish either… Are they endandered too?
All we learned is that sharks don’t swim in the parts of the ocean that are RFD. (really freaking deep)
Just wait 24 hours and someone will say it is because we didn’t sign Kyoto.
Update: Many thanks to Kimsch for emailing to tell me that my lexdysia was running wild on that post. Obviously I meant RFD.
Sanity in Science has been on the endangered list for about three decades now.
You mean a scientist’s “hopes” doesn’t make it scientifically valid? But…but….they hoped and everything!!
I had hoped there would be gold in my backyard, there wasn’t. Obviously, gold depletion is worse than we thought……
It is true, that sharks are threatened by overfishing and “finning,” but this story about the lack of deep-water sharks is idiotic.
I always get my science news from Wizbang. A few weeks ago, they did an amazing piece on how global warming wasn’t really happening, based on the work of one Russian astronomer. Awesome work!
maybe you didnt find any chickens in your backyard because they’re KFC
No, no, no guys….it’s because they’re no SURFERS 6500 feet below.
The report even says the Sharks go were the food is!
Paul
I thought you knew: Because we didn’t sign Kyoto, surfers don’t exist below 400 feet of water, thus there’s no sharks where it’s really really really f’in deep. It’s not like, maybe, the intense water pressure might possibly play a role. Or that the only thing that low is a whale’s calling card? 😉
See, I’m waiting for the movie along these lines. Day After Tommorrow, along with the Core and Armageddon, proved that: Bad Science = Great Movie Making. I can see it now, a SeaQuest/Star Trek/Captain Planet theme, researching and rescue of the unknown species of the sea before neoconservative policies make the oceans drives them extinct.
Sorry, Strike “makes the oceans.” Poor editing on my part.
I can guarantee you this much. You will not have to wait anywhere near 24 hours for some moonbat to spout off about how this is a result of global warming, us not signing Kyoto, or some other type of enviro-whacko BS.
we need more indy media sites like http://www.coanews.org
this is crap
I can’t decide whether to blame Bush or the Joooooz. Must be one (or both) of them, but I haven’t had the time to carefully research it at the Democratic Underground. I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep tonight, what with not knowing and all…
This post is RFD
Perhaps if we melted the polar ice caps, the sharks would have more shallow water to occupy.
Hey, it was either this or they would have gone with “30% of ocean compossed of sharks! Experts predict record numbers of attacks on swimmers! STAY OUT OF THE WATER! WERE ALL GOING TO DIE! ICE CAPS ARE MELTING! SHARKS WILL RULE NEW YORK!”
I blame the new SEAL-deployable retro-fitted Ohio Boomers.
Oh, and Celine Deon. If a problem in the world can’t quite be blamed on Dubya, it’s her damn fault.
Eneils Bailey:
and so forth.
Exactly why are you beating up on science over more shitty media coverage? Seems like you are blaming the creator of the message, when this is a clear case where you need to blame the messenger.
Paul had the angle exactly right:
(emphasis MINE). However, this really isn’t the worst. The worse is when they make up the quotes from the scientists that they use in the story, which does happen.
Carrick,
I agree with you, this is really bad reporting.
I should have been more specific in that I was responding to the opening statement:
I’ve long tired of every envirnonmental “study” blaming man for his misdeeds no matter the outcome of the study…
I believe some of these studies, especially the ones conducted in the environmental sciences are driven to a specific outcome for reasons other than good science. Then the press picks up the report, often times lacing the report with doom and gloom, personal and organizational prejudices and puts it out for public consumption.
That said, I do not think there was bad science associated with this shark study, just bad reporting. Sorry, I should have been more specific about a general science comment.
The sharks need our help. We need to set up a moonbat NPO to tape frickin flashlights to their heads so they can find their way into the abyss. Then, a regular program of feeding to help them overcome their ‘oppression’.
Someone has forgotten to take the LAND SHARK into account…
All together, now – Candygram!
Hmmm.
I have a theory, that I’m trying to acquire research funding for, that the oceans are filled with water. Even to very great depths!
Not sure if it’ll work out, but I have high hopes.
Nice try, Parker, but the demise of the Land Sharks is clearly our fault, as well. The last telegram was sent on January 26, 2006. No more telegrams mean no more candygrams, thereby denying Land Sharks of their prey. Clearly, we humans (or more precisely, Western Union) are responsible for the extinction of land sharks as well as all those undiscovered abyssal shark species.
Thanks for this indepth investigative reporting about the social liberal anti-america god haitng enviromental agenda!
Why do “scientists” disregard the other side of the issue?? It proves their hypocracy!
“No sharks at certain depths”
DUH! It’s called Intelligent Sharking. Proof their is a creator and your fancy education and “science” can’t take that away from the USA!
It’s because they’re all waiting near the surface for someone to attach their frickin’ laser beams!
Eneils Bailey:
That is definitely a possibility, but in most cases, the studies (that I’ve looked at) are good science. It’s the reporting, using digested accounts from third party sources, that often tilts the report to say the opposite of what the report actually concludes.
For example, in this post, I present almost the opposite conclusion to what media reports of the same research had to say. The difference is, I went to primary sources.
That said, no doubt there is plenty of bad science. The trick is to learn to discriminate between what qualified people are saying, and what the hacks in the field are reporting.
In other news today, scientists report that new studies have confirmed the Moon is 100% free of all life. The scientists claim that pollution caused by the Apollo landings undoubtedly caused the extinction of life there.
The Bush administration has subsequently apologized for this.